Urban Air Mobility: A Comprehensive Literature Review on the Growth of Air Taxis and Drone Delivery Systems

Abstract

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) has emerged as a transformative paradigm in urban transportation, offering innovative solutions to the challenges of congestion, emissions, and last-mile logistics. By introducing air taxis, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs), and drone delivery systems, UAM reflects both technological advancement and societal demand for sustainable, efficient mobility. This review investigates the current state of research in UAM, emphasizing its academic relevance and growing cultural significance as cities worldwide prepare for next-generation transport systems. The primary objective is to synthesize fragmented scholarship on UAM, addressing three guiding questions: what technological advancements enable UAM, what regulatory and societal challenges frame its adoption, and what deployment trends and barriers shape its trajectory. Methodologically, the paper adopts a systematic literature review approach, guided by PRISMA standards, screening 612 studies and consolidating 54 thematically relevant contributions. Key themes include technological foundations such as eVTOL propulsion, battery innovation, and AI-driven traffic management; regulatory and infrastructure challenges, including airspace integration, certification, and vertiport development; and socioeconomic and environmental implications, ranging from public trust and willingness to pay to noise, emissions, and equity concerns. Findings reveal that while technological feasibility is advancing, unresolved regulatory uncertainty, environmental conditionality, and gaps in public acceptance remain major barriers. The review concludes by highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of UAM and calling for collaborative efforts across academia, industry, and policy institutions. It underscores future directions in battery innovation, AI-driven airspace prediction, ethical design, and harmonized global governance as essential to realizing UAM’s full potential.